Kenya is an absolutely astounding destination for those wishing to see a
huge number of species on their trip to Africa. By visiting an extremely assorted range of habitats many very
specialized species can be encountered; from lush montane forests to the
treeless high-elevation moorlands, open acacia-spotted savannahs, and extremely
thick coastal and Congolese rainforests, there’s always something new to see.
Add to this the fact that Kenya is
probably the best place in Africa to see all the large mammals and it is no wonder that the country
has become such a huge destination for birders and non-birders alike. A birding
trip provides the opportunity to see lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs,
giraffes, and so much more while also seeing a huge cross-section of Kenya and
the wonderful bird species that inhabit this amazing country. With 578 species
of birds and 47 species of mammals, our time in Kenya was
a non-stop adventure!

May 26: Kinangop Grasslands and GuatamayaForest

While today was actually scheduled as an
arrival day rather than a birding day, many of us had gotten to Kenya
early and were itching to start seeing new birds. We decided to start of our
time in Kenya with a bang and go for one of Kenya’s
specialty species. Starting early we made our way to the Kinangop Grasslands:
an unusual area to search for a globally threatened bird with a very restricted
range. Driving down a dirt road past Capped Wheatear and Red-capped Lark we
exited the van in a large area of pasture. Weaving our way through grazing cows
we tracked down Sharpe’s Longclaw; our first endemic species! We then searched
along a small stream and were rewarded with outstanding views of Wing-snapping
and Tinkling Cisticolas as well as African Snipe and Mosque Swallow.

Leaving the grassland we made our way to
the montane forest at Guatamaya. While being extremely close to Nairobi, this
forest is visited much less frequently than the montane forest around Mt.Kenya. Excited
to see what was in store for us, we made our way through what at first appeared
to be a very quiet forest. This first impression was soon broken as a massive
mixed feeding flock near fruiting trees surrounded us.For the next two hours we remained almost
stationary as we sorted through the constantly changing birds around us. This
included Black-fronted Bushshrike, White-browed Crombec, Tullberg’s Woodpecker,
Brown-woodland Warbler, and three species of apalis. Heading away from the
forest we were forced to wait while massive piles of dirt were dumped to grade
the road. Making the best of this unforeseen situation, we managed to pick up
Hunter’s Cisticola, another East African endemic, as well as Dusky Turtle-Dove.
A great end to an excellent first day out that definitely wet our palate for
the rest of the trip to get underway.

May
27: Tsavo

Leaving Nairobi we began
our adventure by heading to Tsavo: one of the world’s largest national parks.
This gigantic expanse of open savannah is home to some of the most typically
African bird families as well as an amazing diversity of mammals. Secretarybird
can be seen stalking the plains for snakes as elephants lumber through the
grasslands and giraffes munch lazily on the ever-present acacias. Seeing these
spectacular creatures in the wild, with Mt.Kilimanjaro in
the background, is an experience of a lifetime and coming from a big city it is
refreshing to see that places this wild still exist. While marveling at the
mammals, we were not unmindful of the spectacular birds around us. By the end
of the day Buff-crested Bustard took precedence over a herd of zebra and
Grant’s gazelle were bypassed for the Pink-breasted Lark they flushed.

May 28: Taita Hills

Rising from the open savannah of Tsavo, the
Taita Hills seem like a world unto themselves. The humidity is a shock after
the dryness of Tsavo and the disconnectedness of this montane forest provides
the chance to see some excellent species. Two of the most prized species here
are the Taita White-eye and Taita Thrush. While the Taita White-eye is fairly
common and was easily found, the thrush can be a bit trickier. We were lucky
enough to see this bird as it scavenged along the ground about ten meters from
the road. While these endemics were clearly the most sought after species,
other notable species include Orange Ground-Thrush, Stripe-cheeked Bulbul, and
Moustached Tinkerbird.

Arriving back in Tsavo, our leisurely
dinner was soon interrupted by an amazing spectacle at the lodges’ waterhole.
With our focus on a Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, we almost missed the pride of lions
approaching. Rather than coming all the way to the waterhole, they sat off at a
distance while two adults and a baby elephant were drinking. The elephants
didn’t however think the lions had chosen a spot far enough away and immediately
charged them. This happened quite a few times with the young calf deciding to
get in on the fun and charging along behind the two adults. On the final charge
the calf took it upon itself to ensure the lions departures and ran off in
front of the adults! After proving its worth, the calf stomped triumphantly
back to the waterhole to quench its thirst in peace. It was amazing to see this
interaction between some of Africa’s most spectacular beasts!

May 29: Tsavo to Watamu

Leaving the lodge in the early morning we
headed for the far eastern gate of Tsavo. This allowed us to spend the morning
further exploring Tsavo and as we made our way into the less frequently visited
regions of this massive park. This section of Tsavo turned out to be
spectacular for ground dwelling species. The open plains were inhabited by
thousands of Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark and excellent views of side-by-side
Somali and Temminck’s Coursers allowed us to compare these often-illusive
species. The sheer size of the Southern Ground Hornbill makes it a highlight of
any trip and we were lucky enough to see quite a few of these together. As we
left the park we were thrilled to see another very special bird. Found in very
few regions of Kenya, the Vulturine Guineafowl is an absolutely stunning species. The
incandescent blue and black feathers on their necks makes this perhaps the most
stunning bird in Kenya and watching a large flock feeding on the road is an
unforgettable experience. Arriving at our hotel we had just enough time before
the sun set to marvel at the gorgeous breeding plumage of Golden Palm Weaver.

May 30: Sokoke

As one of the last remaining tracts of
coastal rainforest in East Africa, Arabuko-SokokeForest is home to a large range of species found nowhere else in Kenya: many
of these found almost nowhere else in the world. Our first morning in this very
special habitat began wonderfully with Green-capped Eremomela and Green Barbet
while the far-crying “honk” of the near-endemic Fischer’s Turaco could be heard
in the distance. The morning was spent searching through flocks of
Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike for Retz’s Helmetshrike; separating Pale and
Short-tailed Batis, and in general enjoying the spectacular birding we were
lucky enough to experience.

The afternoon was spent further exploring
the forest. Highlights included Narina Trogon, Mangrove Kingfisher, and our
final species of Kenyan guineafowl: the Crested Guineafowl. Those of us feeling
especially intrepid also managed to get excellent looks at one of Arabuko-Sokoke Forests most prized species. While amusing
ourselves with Black-bellied Starling and Fischer’s Greenbul, we patiently
awaited dusk and the beginning of our adventure. Then we heard it; the call
we’d been waiting for. Forcing our way through the extremely dense undergrowth
(occasionally almost down on hands and knees) we pursued the call. Every time
we felt ourselves to be close the bird seemed to sense our excitement and fly
further a field. After five attempts, we decided to give it one more try before
admitting defeat. As stealthily as humanly possible while crawling through
tangles in the blackness of night, we made our way towards the bird. Just as we
thought it might fly, we stopped, waiting for it to call again. Just as we
began to feel the first tinges of desperation it called again. The torch was
turned on and with amazing accuracy was shined directly on the bird. Less than
five meters away and completely unobscured we had found it: the Sokoke
Scops-Owl. This extremely endangered species is thought to have been extirpated
from Tanzania and is currently only know from the Arabuko-SokokeForest.
Extremely thrilled, we stood watching this tiny owl for what seemed to be hours
before it finally decided to fly away. We made our way back to the road in a state
of utter exaltation. Making our way back to the hotel we could barely contain
our excitement (though we did manage to calm down long enough to get great
looks at a porcupine crossing the road).

May
31: Sokoke, Mida Creek, Ken Salt Farm, and SabakiRiver Mouth

After the previous nights excitement we
felt on top of the world and were ready to tackle just about anything. The
morning began with another visit to the forest in search of some more specialty
species. The highlight of these were East Coast Akalat
and Amani Sunbird. We were also lucky enough to get good looks at Eastern Nicator, a species
notorious for its love of thick dense foliage. The endemic golden-rumped
elephant-shrew made an appearance before leaving the forest and heading to Mida
Creek. Mida Creek is a great place to see shorebirds and is best known for its
resident population of one of the worlds most sought after shorebirds: the Crab
Plover. We saw this species in fairly large numbers as well as both Greater and
Lesser Sandplovers and Eurasian Curlew.

We next made our way to the Ken Salt farm.
While the rain poured down on us, we wandered through a couple inches of mud
and water in search of another near-endemic specialty: Malindi Pipit. We were
lucky enough to get a couple good looks at this species as well as flushing a
few Greater Painted-snipe before seeking the shelter of the vans and heading to
the Sabaki River Mouth. Luckily by the time we arrived the rain had subsided
and we could enjoy birding as dusk approached. Zanzibar Red Bishop could be
seen in the reed beds as hordes of White-cheeked and White-winged Terns flew
overhead. However, the highlight was the masses of Madagascar Pratincole that
flew in to roost just before dusk.

June 1: Watamu to Nairobi

With the first week of our Kenyan
experience over, we made our way back to Nairobi. While it
was sad to leave the wonders of the forest, we realized that we had barely
begun to scratch the surface of what Kenya has
to offer. While looking forward to the next two weeks, we looked back on all
the amazing species we had already seen. With 300 species seen we could barely
believe that our trip was only a third over. Arriving in Nairobi we dreamt
of what amazing experiences were still to come.

June 2: NairobiNational Park

With over 600 species recorded within the
city limits, Nairobi is the worlds ‘birdiest’ capital city. A large part of this can be
attributed to NairobiNational Park. Watching lions and giraffe roam the landscape with the skyscrapers
of Nairobi in the background is a true reminder of just how wild a country Kenya
still is. We were amazed with the number of mammals and birds living less than
15 minutes from the city center! Rufous-naped Lark and Yellow-throated Longclaw
could be seen singing from the tops of bushes while five species of cisticola,
including Stout and Pectoral-patch Cisticolas, moved furtively through the
undergrowth. Highlights of the day included the striking Scarlet-chested
Sunbird, both White-winged and Red-collared Widowbirds, and great views of Shelley’s
Francolin.

June 3: LakeMagadi
and Olorgesailie

Starting early, we made our way to Kenya’s
southernmost alkaline lake: LakeMagadi. Stopping in the Olepolos region on our way down, we began our days
birding with a walk through the acacia dotted grassland. Here White-headed
Sawwing zoomed past in its aerobatic flight while Schalow’s Wheatear hung
around the rock faces of the riverside; Red-fronted Barbet and Banded Parisoma
fed in the acacias while noisy flocks of Rufous Chatterer and the stunning Chestnut
Weaver made their way through the underbrush. Walking down a dry riverbed we
obtained excellent looks at Slate-colored Boubou, Black-cheeked and
Crimson-rumped Waxbills, and Blue-capped Cordonbleu.

Having had an amazing start to our day, we
continued to our main destination. LakeMagadi
provided us with our first experience of Kenya’s
flamingoes. The massive numbers of both Greater and Lesser Flamingoes were
enough to give parts of the lake a pinkish sheen. It was hard to believe that
even greater numbers would be seen later in the trip. While the site of so many
flamingoes was almost overwhelming, White-throated Bee-eater and
Chestnut-banded Plover were the two species we were most after. We were
thrilled when we got looks at both of these species. While common in the
summer, this is one of the only sites in Kenya
where the bee-eater is known to over-winter and is the only reliable site in Kenya for
the plover.

After a relaxing lunch marveling at the
flamingoes, we decided to make our way back to Nairobi (with, of
course, a few birding stops en-route). Our first stop came almost immediately
upon leaving the lake. African Silverbill was kind enough to sit in the open on
a pole and a small fresh-water pond provided us with Grey-headed Silverbill as
well. The pond was a magnet for many species in this otherwise dry region and
we watched as a plethora of Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark, Chestnut Sparrow, and the
aptly named Cut-throat Finch came in to drink.

Having had an excellent day, we decided to
pick up a bit of Kenyan history as we continued our search for more birds. We
came to the archaeological site of Olorgesailie with Chestnut-bellied
Sandgrouse flying overhead. Olorgesailie dates back to almost one million years
ago and was first examined by the famous archaeological duo of Louis and Mary
Leakey. The area is extremely rich in hand axes as well as evidence of extinct
types of baboon,
hippo, elephant, zebra, and giraffe. While looking into the open excavations,
Ashy Cisticola began singing and was soon cooperative enough to sit out in the
open for all to see. We headed back to Nairobi and the wonderful
dinner that awaited us.

June
4: Mt.Kenya

At 5,199 meters, Mt.Kenya is Kenya’s
tallest mountain and second in Africa only to Mt.Kilimanjaro. The short path from the carpark to the lodge is surrounded by
thick forest and proved excellent for montane birding. After settling in, we
walked the grounds to discover, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Rueppell’s
Robin-Chat, Hunter’s Cisticola, and three species of greenbul. Unfortunately,
we returned to find that not everyone had heeded the warnings to keep all doors
and windows closed when not in the rooms. The multitudinous Syke’s monkeys had
managed to sniff out secret stores of chocolate and crept through the window slats
to partake in a feast of snickers bars! Luckily dinner promised a chocolate
pudding to take care of our cravings.

June 5: Mt.Kenya and Met Station

One of the highlights of the lodge at Mt.Kenya is its
open-air roof where canopy birds can be seen much more readily. We began the
early morning searching for two of the most sought after highland specialties
here: Black-throated and Chestnut-throated Apalis. We were lucky enough to get
very close views of both of these as they fed in the canopy. As well as these
specialties, the open-air roof provided excellent looks at other species such
as the wonderful Oriole-Finch and the stunning African Emerald Cuckoo.

Having had an amazing start to our day, we
decided to head off to Met Station. At
around 3050 meters this is the base camp for people wishing to climb the
mountain and offers the most accessible high elevation birding on Mt.Kenya. Heavy
rains can often make the roads very muddy but thanks to everyone’s help we were
never stuck for so long that we missed out on any birds!

Exiting the vans while taking care of entry
permits, we encountered our first two specialty species: Kenrick’s and Waller’s
Starlings. Kenrick’s is an East African endemic restricted in Kenya to
a small area around Mt.Kenya and we were thrilled to be able to see this very special species.
The rest of the day held quite a few more very specialized species and we had
excellent luck in tracking them down. Some of the highlights included numerous Jackson’s Francolin
along the road as well as Moorland Chat, Abyssinian Ground-Thrush, and the
striking Tacazze Sunbird up at the highest accessible point.

Descending the mountain, we figured that
with all the special birds we had already seen, we might as well try for one
more East African endemic (is it ever possible to have enough amazing birds in
one day?) Driving through the open fields of grain, we stopped to scan the
flocks of Red-collared Widowbird for the even more astounding Jackson’s
Widowbird. This very localized species has a very long
tail that curves up in the center and was quite amazing to watch as they hopped
and displayed.

June 6: Mt.Kenya
to the Aberdares

While looking forward to getting to the
Aberdares, we couldn’t help but try to pick up a few more species as we drove.
Stopping at a small patch of forest we got excellent views of Red-chested
Cuckoo and Black Cuckoo-Shrike. The highlight of this patch though was the
Abyssinian Crimson-wing that came out to sit in the open. This otherwise boring
brown bird is made striking by its bright red wings and back. Continuing up the
road a little further we stopped after the forest had cleared out and were
thrilled with the Golden-winged Sunbird. With its bright gold wings and long
golden tail, this is one of the most striking of Kenya’s
sunbirds (though with such an amazing diversity of colors, it’s an adjective
that could be very easily over used).

Treetops Lodge in the Aberdares was made
famous as the place where the then Princess Elizabeth went up one night only to
come down the next day as a Queen. While this may have been its original claim
to fame, the amazing bird and animal life have kept this a top destination ever
since. The waterholes on two sides of the building attract huge numbers of
elephants and the hides on the lower levels allow the chance to see these
massive beasts from mere feet away. The waterholes also provided one of our
first chances at wetland species and we were thrilled to see Black Crake,
Yellow-billed Duck, and Red-billed Teal to name just a few.

The highlight of the afternoon came just at
the end of our drive. Just as we decided to turn around and return to the
lodge, we were stopped in our tracks by one of Africa’s most elusive large
mammals. Sitting a little further up the road was a leopard out in the open!
This amazing species is often very difficult to get good looks at and we could
not have asked for better. After sitting on the road for quite a few minutes it
finally got up to stretch and continue on its way, still out in the open. It
was an amazing end to an absolutely fabulous day.

June 7: Aberdares to LakeNaivasha

With an early morning start, we managed to
have just enough time at the waterhole to see Rameron Pigeon and African
Bush-Warbler before beginning our drive through the park on our way to LakeNaivasha.
While we were still on a high from our leopard sighting of the previous
evening, the amazing birds of the Aberdares kept us focused on our main goal.
Highlights of our morning included African Hill Babbler, Tambourine Done,
Speke’s Weaver, and Scaly Francolin.

Upon leaving the park we made our way to
the “owl spot”. This site is possibly the best known site for Mackinder’s
Eagle-Owl, a quite likely split from the more widespread CapeEagle-Owl.
Luckily this bird is still roosting in the same area and we were able to get
excellent views (as well as some photos) of this high-elevation specialty.

Continuing on from the eagle-owl site we
were struck by amazing panoramic views of the Great Rift Valley spread out
before us. As we descended to LakeNaivasha and
arrived at our lodge, the rain clouds started forming and a light sprinkle
turned into a steady barrage of rain. While this gave some the chance to have a
well-deserved rest, others of us braved the rain to see what species we could
find. The dock at our lodge turned out to be an excellent place to scope out
the hippos lounging on the banks and dotting the expanse of water before us.
Birding highlights included Goliath Heron, African Jacana, and Malachite,
Giant, and Pied Kingfishers.

June
8: Hell’s Gate NP to LakeNakuru

Located very close to LakeNaivasha,
Hell’s GateNational Park is unique among Kenya’s
parks as it is one of the few places where it is possible to leave the car and
walk amongst the animals. It’s huge cliff faces and
rocky outcroppings were in stark contrast to the open plains of the savannahs.
The first rocky spire we came to provided excellent views of Mocking Cliff-Chat
while hordes of Mottled and Nyanza Swifts flew overhead. Scanning the huge
cliff face across from us we counted a total of 32 Rueppell’s Griffon perched
in one small patch. This amazing bird is one of the highlights of this region
and we were thrilled to get such good looks as they soared between roosts.
Other highlights of Hell’s Gate included Mourning Wheatear and the beautifully
colored White-fronted Bee-eater.

Leaving Hell’s Gate we made the journey to LakeNakuru in time
to get some birding in there as well. One of the highlights of this lake is the
massive number of flamingoes that seem to turn the waters surface pink.
Broad-billed Roller, Grey-backed Fiscal, and Rueppell’s Long-tailed Starling
also all provided excellent looks as well as a group of Coqui Francolin that
shuffled along next to the van.

June 9: LakeNakuru to LakeBaringo

Starting early in the morning we went off
in search of one of LakeNakurus specialties: the Grey-crested Helmetshrike. Luckily we picked this
bird up with relative ease and got great looks as a flock fed noisily in an
open tree. Quite pleased with ourselves, we headed off to find more amazing
species. As we scanned the distant horizon, we were pleasantly startled when
our driver stopped suddenly to point out a very close hyena with cubs lying
near the road. Cameras soon began clicking as everyone took advantage of the excellent
opportunity. As our cameras became full we went on our way and picked up some
more excellent birds such as Red-headed Weaver, Wattled Starling, and
Black-crowned Tchagra.

LakeBaringo is another very special part of Kenya and
justly famous worldwide for its birds. Upon arrival we were thrilled to
immediately pick up two of the regions specialty species: Hemprich’s and Jackson’s
Hornbills. Arriving at Baringo Country Club we went on a short walk and picked
some of the common birds of the area such as White-billed Buffalo-Weaver and
great looks at Pearl-spotted Owlet. We were also thrilled to find a family of
Senegal Thick-knee with two extremely small chicks whose camouflage hid them
perfectly. The rest of the afternoon was spent sorting through a plethora of
weavers. LakeBaringo is one of the only sites in the country for Northern Masked-Weaver
and the feeders out back provided not only this species but also Little,
Village, Speke’s, and Golden-backed Weavers.

June 10: LakeBaringo to
Kakamega

No trip to LakeBaringo is
complete without visiting the Baringo Cliffs and meeting the amazing Baringo
Bird Boys. The boys have an amazing knowledge of the local area and up to date
info on roosting owls, such as the Grayish Eagle-Owl, as well as being able to
provide us with stupendous looks at the day roosts of Three-banded Courser and
Slender-tailed Nightjar. Highlights of the cliffs included Bristle-crowned
Starling, Pygmy Falcon, and absolutely stunning looks at African Pygmy
Kingfisher.

Saying goodbye to LakeBaringo, our
plans were slightly derailed as we left the Great
Rift Valley and realized that one of the
vans’ tires was completely flight. Never one to pass up the chance to see some
birds, we got out and walked to the top of the small hill where one of Kenya’s
most spectacular looking species could be heard giving its far-crying honk from
across the ravine. Try as we might, we simply could not get views of the bird.
Hearing an urgent call from our driver, we made our way back to the van only to
discover that not only was the tire already changed, but our bird was hopping
around in trees just above where we had pulled off the road. Quickly getting it
in the scope, we were all rewarded with absolutely breathtaking views of
White-crested Turaco! This bright green bird with its huge white crest
definitely made the flat tire a fortuitous event!

Arriving at Kakamega, we had just enough
time to see roosting African Green Pigeon before settling in for dinner and
sleep after another exciting day.

June
11: Kakamega

Waking up early to the sounds of the forest
is a far cry from the open savannahs where we had recently been spending our
time and it took all our self-restraint not to rush out searching for birds
before it was even light enough to see them. Kakamega is the last remnant patch
of Congolese Rainforest in Kenya and
provides a whole slew of spectacular species that can’t be found elsewhere in
the country. From the drab greenbuls to the comical and brightly colored Great
Blue Turaco, our day was filled with spectacular birds. It’s hard to pick out
just a few species, but among the top would definitely have to be Red-headed
Bluebill, Luehder’s Bushshrike, African Broadbill, and Turner’s Eremomela. A
very cooperative Blue-headed Bee-eater provided not only great looks, but for
those of us with photography in mind, it also gave us chances at some great
shots.

June 12: NzoiaRiver

Located about an hour from Kakamega forest,
this river is very close to the Ugandan border and offers the chance to see
some more specialty species not found in the rest of the country. The rural
community around this river is by no means as used to birders as people in the
more traveled areas and it was great to get off the beaten track a bit. The
children in the area were especially excited to have a chance to see through
the scopes; although they weren’t quite as excited with Winding Cisticola as
they were with stunning species like Red-chested and Copper Sunbirds. Other highlights, for us at least, included Black-headed and
Slender-billed Weavers, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, and stunning views of
Blue-headed Coucal. Returning to Kakamega, a brief walk around the lodge
provided breathtaking views of Red-headed Malimbe, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat
and a chance to relax on the balcony and take in the splendor around us.

June 13: DungeSwamp to Masai
Mara

Leaving Kakamega, we worked our way down to
DungeSwamp on the shores of Lake Victoria. This massive inland lake is fringed with papyrus and provides
spectacular scenery and great birding opportunities. Before even reaching the
swamp, our driver was forced to slam on the brakes and pull to the side right
in the heart of the town of Kisumu. A gorgeous Eastern Plantain-eater flew over the road and after a
bit of searching was finally found feeding in a fruiting tree. This is not
always an easy bird to find in the region and was a great introduction to
Kisumu. Continuing on to the swamps themselves, one of the first birds
encountered was a Double-toothed Barbet. The beauty of this species convinced
us all to wade through the muck and we were well rewarded with spectacular
views. Before starting the rest of our journey to the Masai Mara, other
exciting species seen here included Madagascar Bee-eater and Allen’s Gallinule.

June 14-15: Masai Mara

The vast open plains dotted with acacias
and an amazing abundance of wildlife is one of the most enduring images of Africa. Driving through the
Masai Mara, the mammals that make Africa famous are constantly in evidence. For someone who has never been
to Africa, it can be hard to imagine turning away from a lion or cheetah to
examine a lark or cisticola, but by the end of our time here that’s exactly
what we were doing. With massive numbers of hippo at the waterhole out back of
our lodge, amazing views of hyena with cubs, a cheetah family stalking a herd
of Thompson’s gazelle, nine different species of antelope, quite a few lion
prides, giraffe, zebra, elephant, warthog, and hyrax, the mammal watching was
spectacular. Even with all the mammals to distract us, we saw an amazing number
of bird species. Some of the highlights include Marico Sunbird, Black-bellied
Bustard, Rose-throated Longclaw, Miombo Wren-Warbler, and an amazing seven
species of cisticola.

June 16: Masai Mara to Nairobi

After hearing all the stories of vehicles
getting stuck in the mud, we were rather disappointed at it being our last
day and never having really gotten stuck. We set off to fix this oversight
as fast as possible and quickly accomplished our goal to the amusement of
everyone involved. Luckily another vehicle was nearby and after a couple attempts
managed to pull us out of the mud. This, accompanied by excellent views of
Kori Bustard along the roadside, convinced us that we had truly gotten the
full Kenyan experience. After an amazing dinner at the world-renowned Carnivore
Restaurant it was time for us to all part ways and head back to our home countries.
Luckily the memories of this amazing trip will keep us all going till we have
a chance for another birding adventure!